The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing window frames from profile sections, with a joining device in which the profiles are joined into window frames and with a conveying device for supplying the profile sections to the joining device.
Window frames are merely produced in an automated manner from respective profiles. Within the terms of the present invention the term "window frame" shall mean both the generally movable arranged component which carries the window pane so as to form a wing of a window as well as the component fixedly arranged in the building in which one or several wings of windows are arranged. In the case of plastic windows, the joining device is arranged as a welding machine which at first heats the ends of the profile section which are cut to mitre and then presses them against one another in order to bring about a fixed connection. Metal windows can be produced in such a way that a respective connection part made of plastic or the like is introduced into the hollow spaces of the metal profiles at the ends cut to mitre, whereupon a predetermined zone of the metal profile is plastically deformed by a die in order to ensure a secure connection to the metal profile sections with the fixing parts.
The insertion of the profile sections into the respective joining device is generally made manually. The profile sections that belong to one another are conveyed into the vicinity of the joining device, whereupon an operator performs the insertion process. As a result of high need for staff, this procedure is expensive and very inefficient. As an alternative, it is possible to have the insertion of the profile sections into the joining device performed by a machine, namely by a buckling arm robot. However, the cycle time of modern joining devices is so short that it is not possible for such a rotor to insert four profile sections in the available time. That is why the robot becomes a capacity-limiting component.